Global’s H1N1 Update – 05/20/10

*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of May 9, 2010

International News

In the face of criticism, some powerful support steps forward for the WHO

There is no shortage of criticism for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) handling of the H1N1 outbreak. Chat forums and web logs are rife with accusations of collusion with the pharmaceutical industry. Almost a third of the European Union’s members of parliament have signed a petition criticizing the WHO’s handling of the influenza pandemic and calling for an investigation.

This week the World Health Assembly, the decision-making arm of the WHO, convenes to discuss a range of global health issues including the H1N1 pandemic response. At the first day of the gathering, France, India, and the US gave public statements in support of the WHO’s efforts. French Health Minister, Roselyne Bachelot went so far as to issue a point-by-point rebuttal of the criticisms saying the UN agency had been “taken to task in an unjust manner,” and that “the vaccine, which was the answer to a real danger, turned into a source of risk in the collective mind. The effects of this smear campaign are potentially devastating.”

In her opening address to the assembly, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that the news regarding the pandemic is mostly good, and while public health successes are usually owed to political commitment, adequate resources and cooperation, this time we were “just plain lucky.” For India’s part, this seems to either represent a 180° change in their position, or that their earlier criticism was a political gambit. Agence France-Presse

H1N1 response review committee holds its first press conference

On May 19 the external review committee for the WHO’s pandemic response held a press conference to discuss the findings of their first meeting. The group’s final report will be a public document and is under no restrictions on scope of their recommendations. Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chair of the review committee outlined their mandate saying they were looking to into any aspect that bears on lessons for the future saying, “We want to offer recommendations that are keyed to the problems we find. We want to offer recommendations that enable the world, WHO and the nations, to do better the next time, and we are confident there will be a next time.”

The committee plans to measure the WHO’s response in term of 5 issues: preparedness, alert, response, communication and International Health Regulations performance. To facilitate its investigation, the committee will have access to confidential WHO documents and data. While the report will be public, Dr. Fineberg said that the group will have no authority to compel confidential documents into the public view. When asked what types of confidential information the group had, he described it as mostly letters of agreement and contracts with private industry. World Health Organization